The report mentioned that of the 22,934 medical school graduates in 2012, only about 20 percent will end up practicing primary care.

It also mentioned that at least 40 percent of the graduates must enter primary care if the nation's needs are to be met. Some experts believe that the government is not spending enough to develop primary care programs. Lessening the administrative red tape that strangles primary care doctors or paying them more for their labor would also help, they say.

On the other hand, The New York Times, in a Dec. 15 editorial, took a different position. While creating more training programs for primary care doctors would help in the long run, it raised the question of what can be done in the meantime.

The editorial suggested that perhaps nurse practitioners, pharmacists, clinics that are run by nurse practitioners in large retail stores and pharmacies, and even "aides" in the community could all provide some aspect of primary care.

Although using non-M.D.'s may sound far-fetched, some problems do not need a physician's touch. Even though, simple problems like headaches and belly pains could be the first signs of serious illness, often they are not. It is reasonable to assume that non-M.D.'s trained to know when to refer to a physician for help could provide some primary care services.

One thing is certain, if the cost of health care continues to rise, and if patients cannot find a primary care physician, and if they continue to use the emergency room for their routine primary care, non-M.D.'s are sure to play a bigger role in primary care.